Wow, that's an incredibly striking analogy. You've certainly convinced me!

I am reminded, too, of visual kei bands and the people who follow them. They go to tiny, tiny venues jammed packed with people... mostly all the same people from the last venue they saw two cities ago. People followed "their" band like fans follow their fandoms/writers, adding to the entirety of the performance by performing acts of devotion like choreographed synchronized dancing. It was quite an experience to subsume my identity into the crowd dancing body to body with everyone and knowing if I messed up I'd hit someone in the face with my fan. Sort of like fandom! :D